Ultrasonic transducer system and method using selective interleaved excitation pulse frequency

ABSTRACT

A transducer system with a transducer and circuitry for applying a pulse train to excite the transducer. The circuitry for applying a pulse train selects a first set having a first number of pulses at a first frequency and a second set of pulses having a second number of pulses at a second frequency differing from the first frequency. At least one pulse from the first set is located in the pulse train between one or more of the pulses at the second frequency.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, the benefit of the filing date of, and hereby incorporates herein by reference, U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/049,739, entitled “Selection of Excitation Pulse Frequency for Ultrasonic Transducers,” and filed Sep. 12, 2014.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiments relate to ultrasonic transducers and more particularly to a system and method using selective interleaved excitation pulse frequency for such transducers.

Ultrasound transducers are known in the art for transmitting ultrasound waves and detecting a reflection or echo of the transmitted wave. Such devices are also sometimes referred to as ultrasound or ultrasonic transducers or transceivers. Ultrasound transducers have myriad uses, including as water and gas flow meters, consumer devices, vehicle safety, and medical diagnostics. In these and other fields, signals detected by the transducer may be processed to determine distance, which may be further combined with directional or area processing to determine flow, volume, shape, as well as aspects in connection with two and three dimensional processing, including image processing.

Flow meters (e.g., water or gas) are implemented in various schemes in the prior art, including mechanical, electromagnetic, and ultrasonics. Various degrees of human involvement, design considerations, reliability issues, and the like are often involved in the various approaches. With respect to ultrasonic flow meters, the prior art includes a system that includes a two ultrasonic transducers oriented to communicate signals between one another, with the signal traversing a channel inside a pipe. The velocity, or time of flight (TOF), of the water/gas may thus be determined based in part on a difference of the downstream ultrasonic communication and the upstream ultrasonic communication.

While the above and related approaches have served various needs in the prior art, they also provide various drawbacks. Costs associated with human intervention, such as periodic maintenance, upkeep, and calibration are considerations. Power consumption in electronic equipment also may be an issue, either with the related cost of human intervention to change batteries or, even without human intervention, in the lifespan of the battery given the power consumption of the device(s). Moreover, in an ultrasonic flow meter system, issues arise with the excitation frequency of the communication between transducers. For example, in one approach, a phase-locked loop (PLL) may be used to clock each transducer for its transmitted pulses, but such an approach may be costly to implement and typically a PLL may have an undesirably high power consumption. As another example, in systems without a PLL, often a less-expensive and/or lower power-consuming crystal oscillator is used as a clock source, but relative to a PLL, such a system typically has a coarse set of frequency choices, as it is limited to an integer divisor of the nominal clock frequency. In the case where only integer divisions of this frequency are available, then the available frequencies available to use for exciting a transducer may be somewhat limited, particularly given the desired optimization of the transducers. Consider as example such a system with nominal frequency of 8 MHz. With integer divisors of that frequency, there is a relatively small number of different available frequencies available from which to select a frequency to drive the transducers (e.g., 8 MHz/1=8 MHz; 8 MHz/2=4 MHz; 8 MHz/3=2.67 MHz; 8 MHz/4=2 MHz; . . . ; 8 MHz/9=0.89 MHz; 8 MHz/7=1.143. MHz, and so forth). More specifically, it is known in the art that the receiving side of a transducer has an optimum response when excited by its resonant frequency. Thus, for optimum performance, the transmitting side of a transducer should output that resonant frequency. In the above-noted system with an integer divided clock signal, however, the limited frequencies available for exciting the transducer may not match or be sufficiently close to the desirable resonant frequency.

Given the preceding, the present inventors seek to improve upon the prior art, as further detailed below.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment, there is a transducer system. The system comprises a transducer and circuitry for applying a pulse train to excite the transducer. The circuitry for applying a pulse train selects a first set having a first number of pulses at a first frequency and a second set of pulses having a second number of pulses at a second frequency differing from the first frequency. At least one pulse from the first set is located in the pulse train between one or more of the pulses at the second frequency.

Numerous other inventive aspects are also disclosed and claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a flow meter transducer system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a sequence diagram of the flow meter transducer system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a method of operation of the processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4a illustrates a preferred embodiment pulse train to excite a transducer with 20 pulses, wherein a first pulse at one frequency is interleaved before nine pulses at another frequency.

FIG. 4b illustrates a preferred embodiment pulse train, as an alternative to FIG. 4a , to excite a transducer with 20 pulses, wherein two pulses at one frequency are symmetrically interleaved with respect to eighteen pulses at another frequency.

FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred embodiment pulse train to excite a transducer with 20 pulses, wherein a first pulse at one frequency is interleaved before four pulses at another frequency.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a flow meter transducer system 10. System 10 as described in this initial paragraph is known in the art, but it also is included and improved upon in connection with the preferred embodiments as detailed hereafter. System 10 includes a pipe 12 through which a material, such as water or gas, may flow, and for sake of reference in FIG. 1 the flow direction is shown from right to left. Within pipe 12 are located a first transducer T₁ and a second transducer T₂. Proximate transducer T₁ is a reflector R₁, and proximate transducer T₂ is a reflector R₂. Each reflector R_(x) is oriented so as to communicate a signal from its respective proximate transducer T_(x) and also to communicate a signal to the other reflector. As shown by a dashed line inside pipe 12 in FIG. 1, therefore, transducer T₁ communicates a signal to reflector R₁, which reflects that signal to reflector R₂, which reflects that signal to transducer T₂. Likewise, transducer T₂ communicates a signal to reflector R₂, which reflects that signal to reflector R₁, which reflects that signal to transducer T₁. Lastly, a processor 14, such as a digital signal processor, microprocessor, microcontroller, or some other electronic circuitry, receives a signal from a clock 16 and is coupled to both transducer T₁ and transducer T₂ for exciting either transducer T_(x) to transmit a signal and to process a correspondingly received signal by the other transducer, as further explored below. Clock 16 is typically a low-power (e.g., power consumption ˜140 μA/MHz) crystal oscillator with speeds in the range of 1-24 MHz, and nominally for the sake of reference in this document assume that clock 16 outputs an 8 MHz signal.

FIG. 2 illustrates a sequence diagram of the flow meter transducer system 10 of FIG. 1, where the sequence as illustrated and first described is also known in the art, but it also is included and improved upon in connection with the preferred embodiments as detailed hereafter. In general, FIG. 2 represents a first transmission in a first direction from first transducer T₁ to second transducer T₂, followed by a second transmission in second direction, opposite the first, from second transducer T₂ to first transducer T₁. For sake of reference, the first direction is shown and referred to as upstream (UPS) in the context of pipe 12 in FIG. 1, and the second direction is shown and referred to as downstream (DNS) in the context of pipe 12 in FIG. 1.

Looking at the UPS timeline, at a time t₀, processor 14, either directly or via additional circuitry (not shown), applies an excitation pulse train to transducer T₁ which in response transmits a corresponding ultrasonic pulse train signal, where both the applied and transmitted pulse trains consist of a number of pulses, such as 5 to 20 such pulses, shown beginning therefore at time t₀ and ending at time t₁. The transmitted pulses are directed to reflector R₁, which reflects them to reflector R₂, toward transducer T₂. Time passes as these signals pass along a channel that includes the portion of the interior of pipe 12, and any material inside that pipe, that is generally along the dashed line shown in FIG. 1. This time is referred to in the art as time of flight (TOF). Thus, the UPS TOF occurs between times t₀ and t₂.

At time t₂, second transducer T₂ begins to respond to the pulses transmitted by first transducer T₁, as shown by the received signal that begins at time t₂. Processor 14, being coupled to second transducer T₂, therefore, is operable to sample this received signal, such as at the frequency provided by clock 16. Toward this end, processor 14 is typically programmed to begin being capturing signals from second transducer T₂ at a time slightly before the expected response at time t₂. Ideally, the received signal at time t₂ will generally increase toward a peak amplitude at time t₃ and decay thereafter, as the transmitted pulses create an oscillatory response in, and due to the resistive/inductive/capacitive (RLC) nature of, the receiving transducer T₂. Ideally, if the excitation and corresponding transmitted pulses from transducer T₁ are at the resonance frequency of the system (which includes both transducers T₁ and T₂ and the channel between them), then the peak amplitude at time t₃ will be at or near the middle of the envelope that surrounds the total received signal. Then, by time t₄, the received signal will decay to a zero or non-zero state.

At time t₅, which is preferably some time after the amplitude of the received signal at transducer T₂ has sufficiently declined, processor 14 reverses the communication direction of system 10, such as via a multiplexer (MUX) operation. Thus, at a later time t₅, the above process repeats, but in the reverse (i.e., DNS) direction, that is, from second transducer T₂ to first transducer T₁. From the preceding discussion, therefore, one skilled in the art will appreciate that at time t₅, processor 14 applies an excitation pulse train to second transducer T₂ causing it to commence emission of a corresponding pulse train, where both the excitation and resultant transmission pulse train consist of a number of pulses (e.g., 5 to 20) through time t₆, directed to reflector R₂, which reflects them to reflector R₁, toward transducer T₁. Following the TOF of these pulses, at time t₇, first transducer T₁ begins to respond to the pulses transmitted by first transducer T₂, with the transducer T₁ received signal detected and sampled by processor 14, increasing toward a peak amplitude at time t₈, and decaying thereafter to a zero or near-zero level by time t₉.

Given the timing of FIG. 2, processor 14 is operable (e.g., via appropriate programming) to determine both the UPS TOF and the DNS TOF.

For example, in one preferred embodiment, UPS TOF and DNS TOF may be determined by cross correlating the received signal waveforms to determine the relative difference of the UPS and DNS TOF. From these measures, the flow rate through pipe 12 may be calculated, based on that relative difference of the UPS and DNS TOF. This calculation may be determined and expressed in various forms, with one example shown in the following Equation 1:

$\begin{matrix} {v = {{\frac{L}{2} \times \left( {\frac{1}{T_{12}} - \frac{1}{T_{21}}} \right)} = {\frac{L}{2} \times \left( \frac{T_{21} - T_{12}}{T_{21}T_{12}} \right)}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 1} \end{matrix}$ where,

-   -   L is the length of the channel path between first transducer T₁         and second transducer T₂;     -   T₁₂ is the UPS TOF;     -   T₂₁ is the DNS TOF; and     -   v is the velocity of flow.         Note from Equation 1, therefore, that flow velocity is directly         related to the difference between UPS and DNS TOF. Thus,         processor 14 may measure a set of UPS and DNS TOF, or multiple         sets, and accordingly determine flow velocity based on those         measures.

As would be expected, if flow is in one direction, then the TOF in that direction should be less than the TOF in the opposite direction. Moreover, if there is no flow in pipe 12 (or it is empty), then the UPS and DNS TOF should be equal. Such expectations, however, represent ideal devices and conditions. The present inventors have recognized, however, that various factors will influence these considerations and may cause errors in flow measurement calculations. For example, each of transducers T₁ and T₂ has a nominal resonance frequency, so that nominally each also should be excited at a frequency at or closest to that frequency, given system availability. However, based on manufacturing variability as well as potential changes over time, the actual resonance frequency of a transducer may depart from its nominal value, thereby creating an impedance mismatch. As a result, exciting one transducer with a signal based on the nominally expected resonant frequency will cause a less than optimal response in the received signal of the other transducer. Aging also may affect each transducer and also the channel in pipe 12, which is necessarily part of the overall bi-directionally analyzed system. For example, sedimentation may form or change, thereby changing the overall system resonance frequency. Once more, therefore, if a non-resonance frequency excitation signal or pulse is transmitted through the system, then the response at the receiving transducer, including its sensitivity to any impedance mismatch between the transmitting and receiving transducer, will be less than optimal and, hence, more prone to measure/detection errors. In view of these considerations and others as may be ascertained by one skilled in the art, the preferred embodiment implement additional improvements in system 10, as further explored below.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a method 30 of operation of processor 14 from system 10, as may be implemented with appropriate instructions stored in a computer or computing-device readable media, including hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. By way of introduction, method 30 includes an iterative methodology to identify an optimal excitation frequency for the transducers of system 10, after which that identified frequency is applied in system 10 for flow metering operations. Specifically and as detailed with respect to FIG. 3, with pipe 12 preferably in a known no-flow state, in each iteration a transducer of system 10 is excited with a pulse train having an average trial excitation frequency, and a received signal performance metric, RSPM, at the other transducer of system 10 is detected. Each iteration involves a different average excitation frequency, and the excitation frequency creating the optimal RSPM is thereafter used for flow metering evaluations as a substance flows through pipe 12. Additionally per a preferred embodiment, the pulse train that creates the average trial excitation frequency is created by interleaving at least two different frequencies, as further explored below.

Method 30 commences with a step 32, which establishes a first of at least two excitation frequencies, f₁. In a preferred embodiment, f₁ is obtained by dividing the frequency supplied by clock 16 by an integer I. Recall in the example of FIG. 1 that clock 16 provides an 8 MHz signal, and assume for a first example that I₁=18; hence, f₁=1 MHz. Following step 32 is a comparable step 34, which however applies to the second of the at least two excitation frequencies, f₂. In a preferred embodiment, F₂ also is obtained by dividing the frequency supplied by clock 16 by an integer, here designated as I₂ and unequal to I₁. Assume also for this first example that I₂=7; hence, f₂=8 MHz/7=1.143 MHz.

After step 34, an initialization step 36 sets a loop variable N=0, so as to control the number of above-introduced iterations, each of which will involve a different average trial excitation frequency.

After step 36, step 38 establishes a pulse train for application to a transducer, the train consisting of an integer number PTL of pulses, and where some of those PTL pulses are selected at frequency f₁ and the remainder of the PTL pulses are selected at frequency f₂. In the context of method 30, the differing number of pulses at frequency f₁ versus at frequency f₂ are determined using the loop variable N, whereby for each instance of the loop, the pulse train includes N pulses at frequency f₁ and PTL-N pulses at frequency f₂. By way of an example, therefore, assume that PTL=20, that is, the transducer pulse train is to include 20 pulses. In a first iteration of step 38, therefore, where N=0 and PTL=20, then the pulse train includes N=0 pulses at frequency f₁ and PTL−N=(20−0=20) pulses at frequency f₂. These pulses combine to provide an average trial excitation frequency, hereafter shown as f_(atef), as shown in the following Equation 2:

$\begin{matrix} {f_{atef} = \frac{\left\{ {{N\left( f_{1} \right)} + {\left( {{PTL} - N} \right)\left( f_{2} \right)}} \right\}}{PTL}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 2} \end{matrix}$ Thus, in the first iteration of step 36, the average trial excitation frequency f_(atef), is as shown in the following Equation 2.1:

$\begin{matrix} {f_{atef} = {\frac{\left\{ {{0(1)} + {\left( {20 - 0} \right)(1.143)}} \right\}}{20} = {1.143\mspace{14mu}{MHz}}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 2.1} \end{matrix}$

After step 38, step 40 applies the pulse train to one of the two transducers T₁ or T₂ of system 10, preferably with pipe 12 having the material (e.g., gas/water) in it known or detected not to be moving, as the response should be the same in either direction under such conditions. By way of example, therefore, processor 14 may accomplish step 38 by selecting the appropriate integer divisor for each pulse in the determined pulse train. In the present example of the first iteration of step 38, therefore, where the pulse train includes N=0 at frequency f₁ and PTL−N=(20−0=20) pulses at frequency f₂, then processor 14 selects the 20 pulses at frequency f₂ by using its integer divisor I₂=7, whereby each pulse is therefore is 1.143 MHz (i.e., 8 MHz/7=1.143 MHz). Note also in an alternative preferred embodiment, method 30 may be repeated for both upstream and downstream determinations, with the difference in TOF also being used for the remaining discussion. In any event, as the pulse train is supplied to excite the selected transducer (i.e., T₁ or T₂), the received signal at the other non-selected transducer (i.e., T₂ or T₁) is measured and the above-introduced receive signal performance metric (RSPM) of the respective receive signal is determined and stored. For example, the RSPM may be a measure of the maximum amplitude of the received signal. As another example, if step 40 is applied in both the upstream and downstream directions, then the RSPM may be the delta TOF with respect to the two different directional measures.

After step 40, step 42 increases the loop counter N, which in one preferred embodiment is by a value of two so that the loop counter will continue to present an even number for step 38, as further explained later.

After step 42, step 44 determines whether the loop counter has exceeded a threshold, which is set to PTL/2, that is, the pulse train length divided by two. For the example wherein PTL=20, therefore, step 44 determines whether N>20/2=10. If N does not exceed PTL/2, then method 30 returns to step 38, where as detailed later a loop portion of method 30 repeats for a determination of a next and different average trial excitation frequency f_(atef), which is applied to a transducer and a next RSPM is measured and stored, continuing in that loop until N exceeds PTL/2. Toward that end, when N eventually exceeds PTL/2, then method 30 continues to step 46.

In step 46, and as further illustrated by an example below, method 30 has performed a number (e.g., (PTL/2)+1) of loops, and for each loop a respective frequency f_(atef) is applied and a respective RSPM is measured and stored. In step 46, therefore, the stored values of RSPM are evaluated, and an operational frequency f_(op), which is a function of f₁ and f₂, is set to achieve the frequency f_(atef) at which the optimum value of RSPM was achieved, which is shown in step 46 by the following Equation 3: f _(op) =f{f ₁ ,f ₂ }=f _(atef)@OPTIMUM{RSPM}  Equation 3 Note therefore that operational frequency f_(op) is determined as that frequency combination, among the various trial and stored values of frequency f_(atef), at which the best system performance was achieved, as that measure is indicated by RSPM. In other words, the best measured frequency value corresponds to that excitation frequency combination of f₁ and f₂ that provided, in a received signal from a transducer, the most optimum response, which also is likely to be the excitation frequency that was closest to the resonant frequency of system 10. Method 30, therefore, represents an iterative methodology to converge on an optimum excitation frequency among frequencies achievable by a combination of frequencies f₁ and f₂, provided from integer divisions of a clock signal. These and other aspects are further demonstrated below, including a preferred manner of interleaving the f₁ and f₂, pulses into a pulse train. In any event, once the combination of f₁ and f₂ that provides the operational frequency f_(op) is determined, those frequencies are thereafter applied by system 10 in an interleaved fashion to achieve the effective operational excitation frequency for transducers T₁ and T₂, as method 30 is thus shown to end in step 48.

Note also that the above iterative loop is described in connection with applying a pulse train and detecting the response in a single direction, that is, either upstream or downstream. In one preferred embodiment, such single directionally should suffice if only maximizing the amplitude by optimizing the average excitation frequency. In an alternative preferred embodiment, however, it is recognized that impedance mismatches may result in a respective different optimum frequency in the two different directions (i.e., UPS and DNS). Such a condition may suggest that the impedance mismatch is undesirably high, but nevertheless a preferred embodiment contemplates performing the loop in both directions and using delta TOF as the basis for determining the combination f₁ and f₂ that provides the operational frequency f_(op).

From the above, one skilled in the art will appreciate that method 30 performs an iterative methodology to arrive at an optimal operational frequency f_(op) for system 10. In this respect, system 10 is auto-calibrating. Moreover, note also that a preferred embodiment may preferably repeat this auto-calibration of method 30 from time to time or based on other factors. For example, method 30 may repeat each time a fixed period of time elapses (e.g., once per 24 hour period), or based on a changing time, or in response to an anticipated or detected change in one or more conditions affecting system 10.

To further appreciate the preceding, the discussion now continues with additional iterations through the loop portion of method 30, as it repeats and ultimately completes once the threshold condition of step 44 is satisfied. Recall that the first iteration of this loop, when N=0, results in a trial excitation frequency f_(atef), as shown in Equation 2.1, of 1.143 MHz and a first measure of RSPM, which hereafter will have a subscript equal to N for the value, so that in this first instance that measure is referred to as RSPM₀. Additionally, step 42 increases the loop counter to N=2, and threshold detection step 44 is not satisfied (i.e., N=2≤(PTL=20/2=10)) so the loop is repeated, as explored below.

For the N=2 loop iteration of method 30, step 38 again establishes a transducer pulse train of an integer number PTL (e.g., PTL=20) of pulses, where in this instance the pulse train includes a number of frequency f₁ pulses, hereafter referred to as NP_(f1) that in this instance equals N=2 f₁ pulses, and a number of frequency f₂ pulses, hereafter referred to as NP_(f1), that in this instance equals PTL-N=20−2=18 f₂ pulses. These pulses combine to provide the average trial excitation frequency, f_(atef), as shown in the following Equation 2.2:

$\begin{matrix} {f_{atef} = {\frac{\left\{ {{2(1)} + {\left( {20 - 2} \right)(1.143)}} \right\}}{20} = {1.129\mspace{14mu}{MHz}}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 2.2} \end{matrix}$ Step 40, therefore, applies the pulse train which selects N=2 frequency f₁ pulses and PTL-N=20−2=18 frequency f₂ pulses to one of the two transducers T₁ or T₂ (or alternating, to one after the other, for a delta TOF application). Further in this regard, note that the preferred embodiment combines the frequency f₁ and frequency f₂ pulses by selecting and applying them in an interleaved fashion so that the PTL pulses of the pulse train do not include all of the frequency f₁ pulses followed by all of the frequency f₂ pulses (or vice versa), but preferably individual ones of one frequency pulses are interspersed among the others. Indeed, where the lower number NP_(f1) or NP_(f1) of the frequency f₁ pulses or the frequency f₂ pulses, respectively, is a factor of PTL, then preferably each of those pulses corresponding to the lower number is equally-spaced or symmetrically spaced in an interleaving fashion with respect to the larger number of the other pulses, as will now be appreciated a numeric example in the present loop iteration. Specifically, for the current loop iteration, recall there are NP_(f1)=2 f pulses NP_(f2)=18 f₂ pulses, and the lower number of those pulses (i.e., 2) is a factor of PTL=20. Hence, in the pulse train, for every instance of an f₁ pulse, the number of f₂ trailing pulses (hereafter, NPT) following the f₁ pulse is shown by the following Equation 4:

$\begin{matrix} {{NPT}_{f\; 2} = \frac{{PTL} - N}{N}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 4} \end{matrix}$ Equation 4 for the current loop iteration is shown in the following Equation 4.1:

$\begin{matrix} {{NPT}_{f\; 2} = {\frac{{PTL} - N}{N} = {\frac{20 - 2}{2} = {\frac{18}{2} = 9}}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 4.1} \end{matrix}$ Thus, for the current loop iteration, step 40 applies an instance of an f pulse followed by NPT_(f2)=9 f₂ pulses. Moreover, this sequence of 10 pulses, one at 1 MHz followed by 9 at 1.143 MHz, results in an average trial excitation frequency f_(atef), is as shown in the following Equation 2.3:

$\begin{matrix} {f_{atef} = {\frac{\left\{ {{1(1)} + {(9)(1.143)}} \right\}}{10} = {1.129\mspace{14mu}{MHz}}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 2.3} \end{matrix}$ FIG. 4a , therefore, illustrates one such approach with a preferred embodiment pulse train PT of PTL=20 pulses, with NP_(f1)=2 f pulses, each of which is followed by NP_(f2)=9 f₂ pulses, so in the Figure shading is used to distinguish the two different frequency pulse types and the f₂ pulses are slightly narrower than the f₂ pulses. Thus, a first set of 10 pulses is shown starting from left to right, which commence with one f₁ pulse followed by nine f₂ pulses, followed by a second set of 10 pulses which likewise includes one f₁ pulse followed by nine f₂ pulses. Each set, or both sets, therefore, result in a trial excitation frequency f_(atef) of 1.129 MHz applied to a selected transducer (or to both, with one excited after the other). Moreover, for pulse train PT, step 40 also evaluates and stores RSPM₂, after which the loop counter N is increased by 2 to 4, and again step 44 is not satisfied (i.e., N=4≤(PTL=20/2=10)), so the loop is repeated, as explored below.

Note as an alternative and a more preferred approach in some instances, the results of Equation 4 may be applied to create the pulse train so that the lower number of pulses as between f₁ and f₂, out of the total 20 pulses, is symmetrically distributed with respect to the center of the total pulse train, rather from the start. This approach, for the current example, is shown in FIG. 4b , where again per Equation 4.1 there are 20 total pulses, 2 of which are is at f₁ and 18 of which are at f₂, but the pulse train begins with six f₁ pulses, followed by an f₂ pulse, followed by six f₁ pulses, followed by an f₂ pulse, followed by six f₁ pulses. In this regard, the response of the transducer is allowed to more smoothly build up with the f₁ pulses and then be slightly adjusted by the averaging effect of the symmetrically-interleaved f₂ pulse.

For the N=4 loop iteration of method 30, step 38 again establishes a transducer pulse train PT of an integer number PTL (e.g., PTL=20) of pulses, where in this instance pulse train PT includes NP_(f1)═N=4 pulses at frequency f₁ and NP_(f2)=PTL-N=20-4=16 pulses at frequency f₂. These pulses combine to provide the average trial excitation frequency, f_(atef), as shown in the following Equation 2.4:

$\begin{matrix} {f_{atef} = {\frac{\left\{ {{4(1)} + {\left( {20 - 4} \right)(1.143)}} \right\}}{20} = {1.114\mspace{14mu}{MHz}}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 2.4} \end{matrix}$ Step 40, therefore, applies the pulse train of N=4 frequency f₁ pulses and PTL-N=20−4=16 frequency f₂ pulses to one of the two transducers T₁ or T₂ (or alternating to one excited after the other, for a delta TOF application). Again, because the lower number, PN_(f1)=4 is a factor of PTL=20, then preferably each frequency pulse in that lower number of pulses is equally-spaced in an interleaving fashion with respect to the other higher number of f₂ pulses. Thus, for the current loop iteration, there are NP_(f1)=4 f₁ pulses and NP_(f2)=16 f₂ pulses, so in the pulse train, for every instance of an f₁ pulse, the number NP_(f2) of f₂ pulses is shown by the following Equation 4.2:

$\begin{matrix} {{NP}_{f\; 2} = {\frac{{PTL} - N}{N} = {\frac{20 - 4}{4} = {\frac{16}{4} = 4}}}} & {{Equation}\mspace{14mu} 4.2} \end{matrix}$ Thus, for the current loop iteration, step 40 applies an instance of an f pulse followed by NP_(f2)=4 f₂ pulses. FIG. 5, therefore, illustrates the preferred embodiment pulse train PTL of PTL=20 pulses, with N=NP_(f1)=4 f₁ pulses, each of which is followed by NP_(f2)=4 f₂ pulses, resulting in a trial excitation frequency f_(atef) of 1.114 MHz applied to a selected transducer (or to both, with one excited after the other). Moreover, for that pulse train PT, step 40 also evaluates and stores RSPM₄, after which the loop counter N is increased by two to so as to equal six, and again step 44 is not satisfied (i.e., N=6≤(PTL=20/2=10)), so the loop is repeated, as explored below.

Given the preceding, one skilled in the art should readily appreciate the applicability of method 30 for the N=6 loop iteration of method 30 as well as subsequent loop iterations. One additional preferred embodiment observation, however, is noteworthy. Specifically, for the N=6 loop iteration, NP_(f1)=N=6 f₁ pulses, and NP_(f2)=PTL−N=20−6=14 f₂ pulses. Note here, therefore, that neither NP_(f1) nor NP_(f2) is a factor of PTL, that is, neither 6 nor 14 is a factor of 20. As a result, there is not a manner of evenly spacing the f₁ pulses relative to the f₂ pulses. In one preferred embodiment, therefore, the smaller number of pulses (e.g., f₁ pulses in this example) are still interleaved among the larger number of pulses, that is, in the pulse train at least one or more of the pulses at one frequency are located between one or more of the pulses at the other frequency, just not in an equally-spaced manner Using this approach, therefore, if method 30 loops for each increase of the index N by 2, then odd numbers of pulses in either NP_(f1) or NP_(f2) are avoided. Given the preceding, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the following Table 1 depicts each different loop as well as the resultant value of average trial excitation frequency, f_(atef), where f₁=8 MHz/8=1.0 MHz and f₂=8 MHz/7=1.143 MHz:

TABLE 1 NP_(f1) NP_(f2) f_(atef) RSPM 0 20 1.142857143 RSPM₀ 2 18 1.128571429 RSPM₂ 4 16 1.114285714 RSPM₄ 6 14 1.1 RSPM₆ 8 12 1.085714286 RSPM₈ 10 10 1.071428571 RSPM₁₀ 12 8 1.057142857 RSPM₁₂ 14 6 1.042857143 RSPM₁₄ 16 4 1.028571429 RSPM₁₆ 18 2 1.014285714 RSPM₁₈ 20 0 1 RSPM₂₀

Table 1, therefore, demonstrates that method 30 creates and applies a different respective pulse train for a total of (PTL/2)+1 instances, each at a different average trial excitation frequency f_(atef); also for each of those instances, method 30 determines a respective receive signal performance metric RSPM for each such instance. Thus, once the method iteration loops are complete, step 46 selects the combination of values of f₁ and f₂ corresponding to the respective optimized RSPM per Equation 3, and thereafter those values are combined using interleaving pulses of each to achieve the optimized effective operation frequency, f_(op).

In an alternative preferred embodiment, the loop index N of method 30 is adjusted so that only values of N are used where either N or PTL−N is a factor of PTL, so that for each such instance each pulse in the lower number of one frequency is equally-spaced in an interleaving fashion with respect to one or more pulses in the larger number of the other frequency pulses. The threshold condition of step 44 also would be adjusted accordingly (e.g., N>number of instances where one of N or PTL−N is a factor of PTL). In this approach, therefore, then one skilled in the art will appreciate that the following Table 2 depicts each different loop as well as the resultant value of average trial excitation frequency, f_(atef), and the appropriate equally-spaced interleaving, as established for each iteration by Equation 4:

TABLE 2 NP_(f1) NP_(f2) f_(atef) NPT_(f2) NPT_(f1) RSPM 0 20 1.142857143 20 RSPM₀ 2 18 1.128571429 9 RSPM₂ 4 16 1.114285714 4 RSPM₄ 10 10 1.071428571 1 RSPM₁₀ 16 4 1.028571429 4 RSPM₁₆ 18 2 1.014285714 9 RSPM₁₈ 20 0 1 20 RSPM₂₀

Table 2, therefore, illustrates only values of N=NP where the lower of either NP_(f1) or NP_(f1) is a factor of PTL=20. For the second through fourth loop iterations of method 30, therefore, the total PTL=20 pulse train includes a pulse at frequency f₁ followed by one or more trailing NPT pulse(s) at frequency f₂. For the last three loop iterations of method 30, as shown in the last three rows of Table 2, however, the number NP_(f1) of frequency f₁ pulses exceeds the number NP_(f2) of f₂ pulses. In each of those iterations, therefore, the pulse train includes a pulse at frequency f₂ followed by one or more trailing NPT_(f1) pulse(s) at frequency f₁. Thus, the approach of Table 2 does not include the fully (PTL/2)+1 values of Table 1, but each of its combinations provides for an equally-spaced interleaving as between the f₁ pulses and the f₂ pulses of a respective combination.

In still another preferred embodiment, note that the loop index N may be adjusted (along with the threshold of step 44) to include more or fewer combinations of the f₁ pulses and the f₂ pulses. Thus, by increasing the loop index N in step 42 by one rather than two, the following Table 3 is achieved.

TABLE 3 NP_(f1) NP_(f2) f_(atef) RSPM 0 20 1.142857 RSPM₀ 1 19 1.135714 RSPM₁ 2 18 1.128571 RSPM₂ 3 17 1.121429 RSPM₃ 4 16 1.114286 RSPM₄ 5 15 1.107143 RSPM₅ 6 14 1.1 RSPM₆ 7 13 1.092857 RSPM₇ 8 12 1.085714 RSPM₈ 9 11 1.078571 RSPM₉ 10 10 1.071429 RSPM₁₀ 11 9 1.064286 RSPM₁₁ 12 8 1.057143 RSPM₁₂ 13 7 1.05 RSPM₁₃ 14 6 1.042857 RSPM₁₄ 15 5 1.035714 RSPM₁₅ 16 4 1.028571 RSPM₁₆ 17 3 1.021429 RSPM₁₇ 18 2 1.014286 RSPM₁₈ 19 1 1.007143 RSPM₁₉ 20 0 1 RSPM₂₀

Given Table 3, again combinations are included in certain rows wherein neither NP_(f1) nor NP_(f2) is a factor of PTL, giving rise to unequally-spaced interleaving of the f₁ pulses and the f₂ pulses for purposes of applying a trial pulse train and also for applying the operational frequency if one of such combinations produces an optimized RSPM. Note, however, that greater granularity or resolution selection is achievable as between each different combined frequency, namely, an approximate difference of 0.007 MHz is achievable for attempting to match the resonant frequency of system 10. Thus, one skilled in the art will appreciate tradeoffs in the various approaches represented by Tables 1 through 3.

From the above, the preferred embodiments are shown to provide a transducer system and method using selective interleaved excitation pulse frequency for such transducers. The preferred embodiments have been shown in a favorable implementation with respect to flow meters, but note numerous aspects may apply to other systems. For example, preferred embodiment aspects may be applied to transducer applications other than flow meters. As another example, the preferred embodiment is shown by example in a system with two transducers, but various aspects also may be applied to a single transducer, wherein it is excited with a frequency and transmits a pulse train, after which it then responds to the reflection of that pulse train. As still another example, the integer divisors used above are only by way of example, where alternative values may be used so as to achieve different values of f_(atef). As yet another example, while the preferred embodiment implements f_(atef) as the combination of two different frequencies, more than two such frequencies may be combined and interleaved so as to achieve additional resolution. In view of the above, therefore, while various alternatives have been provided according to the disclosed embodiments, still others are contemplated and yet others can ascertained by one skilled in the art. Given the preceding, therefore, one skilled in the art should further appreciate that while some embodiments have been described in detail, various substitutions, modifications or alterations can be made to the descriptions set forth above without departing from the inventive scope, as is defined by the following claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a transducer; a clock circuit configured to provide a clock signal; and circuitry coupled to the transducer and to the clock circuit, the circuitry configured to: by integer division of the clock signal, form a first set of pulses having a first frequency, and form a second set of pulses having a second frequency differing from the first frequency; and apply a pulse train to excite the transducer, the pulse train comprising at least one pulse from the first set between two or more pulses from the second set.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer configured is a first transducer configured to produce a transmitted signal in response to the pulse train, and the system further comprises a second transducer configured to produce a received signal in response to the transmitted signal.
 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising circuitry configured to determine a performance metric in response to the received signal produced by the second transducer.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein: the pulse train is a first pulse train; and the circuitry is configured to apply a second pulse train to excite the transducer, the first pulse train having a different number of pulses at the first frequency as compared to the second pulse train.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first pulse train has a different number of pulses at the second frequency as compared to the second pulse train.
 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising circuitry configured to determine a respective performance metric in response to the received signal produced by the second transducer responsive to at least one of the first and second pulse trains.
 7. A system, comprising: a first transducer configured to produce transmitted signals in response to first and second pulse trains; a second transducer configured to produce received signals in response to the transmitted signals; circuitry coupled to the second transducer and configured to determine a respective performance metric in response to at least one of the received signals produced by the second transducer; and circuitry coupled to the first transducer and configured to: select a first set of pulses at a first frequency and a second set of pulses at a second frequency differing from the first frequency; and apply first and second pulse trains to excite the first transducer, each of the first and second pulse trains having at least one pulse from the first set between two or more pulses from the second set; the first pulse train having a different number of pulses at the first frequency as compared to the second pulse train and a different number of pulses at the second frequency as compared to the second pulse train in response to an optimum performance metric indicated from the respective performance metric.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry coupled to the first transducer is configured to apply the first and second pulse trains to excite the first transducer repeatedly at fixed periodic times.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the fixed periodic times are separated by approximately 24 hours.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer is a first transducer configured to produce a transmitted signal in response to the pulse train; and the system further comprises a second transducer positioned and configured to produce a first received signal in response to the transmitted signal from the first transducer; and the first transducer is positioned and configured to produce a second received signal in response to a transmitted signal from the second transducer.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein: the pulse train is a first pulse train; and the circuitry is configured to apply a second pulse train to excite the second transducer.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one pulse from the first set is located in the pulse train in an evenly-spaced arrangement between the two or more pulses from the second set.
 13. A system, comprising: a first transducer configured to produce a transmitted signal in response to a pulse train; circuitry coupled to the first transducer and configured to: select a first set of pulses having a first frequency and a second set of pulses having a second frequency differing from the first frequency; and apply the pulse train to excite the first transducer, in which the pulse train comprises at least one pulse from the first set between two or more pulses from the second set; a second transducer configured to produce a received signal in response to the transmitted signal; and a pipe; the first transducer and the second transducer being positioned in a fixed relationship relative to the pipe, so flow in the pipe is measurable in response to the received signal.
 14. A method of operating a transducer system, the method comprising: applying a pulse train to excite a transducer to produce a transmitted signal in response to the pulse train, wherein applying the pulse train comprises selecting a first set of pulses having a first frequency and a second set of pulses having a second frequency differing from the first frequency, in which the pulse train comprises at least one pulse from the first set between two or more pulses from the second set, the first and second sets being selected in response to an optimum performance metric; and producing a received signal in response to the transmitted signal.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transducer is a first transducer; and producing the received signal comprises producing a received signal by a second transducer.
 16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising determining a performance metric in response to the received signal produced by the second transducer.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein: applying the pulse train comprises applying first and second pulse trains; and the first pulse train has a different number of pulses at the first frequency as compared to the second pulse train.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first pulse train has a different number of pulses at the second frequency as compared to the second pulse train.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a respective performance metric in response to the received signal produced by the second transducer responsive to at least one of the first and second pulse trains.
 20. A method of operating a transducer system, the method comprising: producing, by a first transducer, transmitted signals in response to first and second pulse trains; producing, by a second transducer, received signals in response to the transmitted signals; determining a respective performance metric in response to at least one of the received signals produced by the second transducer; selecting a first set of pulses at a first frequency and a second set of pulses at a second frequency differing from the first frequency; and applying first and second pulse trains to excite the first transducer, each of the first and second pulse trains having at least one pulse from the first set between two or more pulses from the second set; the first pulse train having a different number of pulses at the first frequency as compared to the second pulse train and a different number of pulses at the second frequency as compared to the second pulse train in response to an optimum performance metric indicated from the respective performance metric.
 21. A system, comprising: a transducer; and circuitry coupled to the transducer and configured to: in response to an optimum performance metric, select a first set of pulses having a first frequency and a second set of pulses having a second frequency differing from the first frequency; an apply a pulse train to excite the transducer, the pulse train comprising at least one pulse from the first set between two or more pulses from the second set.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the circuitry coupled to the transducer is configured to apply the pulse train to excite the transducer repeatedly at fixed periodic times.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the fixed periodic times are separated by approximately 24 hours. 